Red Sage, Washington, D.C.

After walking down to the Tidal Basin to look at the cherry blossoms, my friend Kody and I wandered downtown for an early dinner. I'd wanted to go to Butterfield 9, but when we arrived, they were closed for a private party. Alas. So, we looked across the street and decided to try Red Sage. Red Sage is an interesting establishment on the corner of a big office building. The street level floor is a large bar and dining area featuring Mexican food in their "Border Cafe," while the downstairs is a slightly more elegant version with multiple dining rooms in similar decor and with a much more expensive menu I'll call American with a Mexican flair for what they call "The Grill." We opted for the Mexican food upstairs.

The decor can best be described as a contemporary attempt to create a Southwest geographic feature feel. Tables were free form (ours looked almost like the shape of a grand piano) and there was a huge "cloud" or something hanging from the ceiling over the bar area which I thought looked more like an upside down mesa. They chose a palate of deep sunset colors for the tables and chairs. Designs are modern, but comfortable; our oddly shaped booth was quite private and quite cozy.

Red Sage has an interesting take on Mexican food. Lots of trendy ingredients such as mushrooms and goat cheese have been incorporated into traditional food forms. There were a lot of cross-cultural Hispanic items, and I saw a lot of seviches and Cuban sandwiches on the menu. They also have a significant tequila selection and all the accompanying varieties of margaritas.

We opted to actually order chips and salsa for an appetizer. No free chips here—they cost $4.95. I ordered the chorizo-stuffed masa empanadas, but the waitress said they'd been taken off the menu. Alas. We got a large basket of warm tortilla chips, half yellow corn and half blue corn, and a plate with three small ramekins of "Fiery Pueblo Salsas": a black bean, a green tomatillo, and a red tomato version. The green salsa had the most jalapeño kick to it, but none were "fiery." All three of the salsa I thought tasted sweet.

For our main courses, Kody had the mushroom and goat cheese enchiladas with spinach and grilled onions and with a side of green rice. I had the "Border Platter," a combination plate of a chicken enchilada, a mushroom enchilada, and a mushroom tamale with red chile mole. Tiny ramekins of beans accompanied each entree. I thought the food was good and flavorful, but I couldn't help but notice that back in Oklahoma, we would have gotten twice the food for half the price. Of course, we have real Mexicans back there, and we don't have to import chefs from New York to create "Mexican" dishes.





There were a lot of interesting desserts on the menu, but we opted to spend our dining dollars on additional margaritas. I'll probably regret it in the morning. But, what would a dinner out with Kody be without a gratuitous Kody-holding-a-liquor-glass pic?